Underlay substrate for printing a printed circuit on a substrate

ABSTRACT

A plurality of through holes having an equal size are formed in an underlay substrate. Positions of the plurality of through holes are suitably set according to the shape of a substrate sheet. Specifically, an equal number of through holes are formed in each of end blank corresponding regions that, when the substrate sheet and the underlay substrate are overlapped with each other, overlap with end blank regions of the substrate sheet, of the underlay substrate. In addition, the through holes are formed at equal spacing in portions excluding the end blank corresponding regions in a blank corresponding region, which overlaps with a blank region of the substrate sheet, of the underlay substrate.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/043,412(now U.S. Pat. No. 7,851,013), filed Mar. 6, 2008, which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/893,697, filed onMar. 8, 2007, and the disclosures of which are incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an underlay substrate, and a screenprinting method and a manufacturing method of a printed circuitsubstrate using the same.

2. Description of the Background Art

As a technique for forming a conductive layer, an insulating layer orthe like on a substrate, a screen printing is known. In the screenprinting, printing ink (conductive paste, insulating paste or the like)is applied on the substrate through a screen plate in which an openinghaving a predetermined shape is formed while the substrate is fixed on astage of a screen printing device. Thus, the conductive layer, theinsulating layer or the like whose shape corresponds to the shape of theopening of the screen plate is formed on the substrate.

When the screen printing is performed, the substrate is fixed on thestage by, for example, vacuum suction (see JP 1-115272 U, for example).

When the substrate has an asymmetric shape, the substrate may not besucked onto the stage with a good balance in the vacuum suction of thesubstrate onto the stage. Specific description is made using FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a substrate sheet subjected tothe screen printing. As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of (two in FIG. 6)substrate assembly regions R1 are provided on the substrate sheet 10 soas to extend in parallel with a pair of sides that face each other.

A plurality of substrate formation regions R2 are provided in each ofthe substrate assembly regions R1. Hereinafter, the above-mentioned pairof sides of the substrate sheet 10 is referred to as lateral sides, andthe other pair of sides that is vertical to the lateral sides isreferred to as end sides.

Each of the substrate formation regions R2 is subjected to various typesof processes, thereby forming printed circuit substrates. In the exampleshown in FIG. 6, the printed circuit substrates are magnetic headsuspension substrates. Openings R3 are formed at portions excluding theplurality of substrate formation regions R2 in each of the substrateassembly regions R1. Ends of each of the substrate formation regions R2are coupled to a peripheral region of the substrate assembly region R1.

A blank region R10 is formed in a region excluding the substrateassembly regions R1 in the substrate sheet 10. In the blank region R10,end blank regions R4 are provided so as to extend from respective oneends of the substrate assembly regions R1 to one end side of thesubstrate sheet 10. In addition, end blank regions R5 are provided so asto extend from the respective other ends of the substrate assemblyregions R1 to the other end side of the substrate sheet 10 in the blankregion R10. Normally, the end blank regions R4, R5 are formed such thattheir respective areas are different from each other. Therefore, aregion on one side of the blank region R10 and a region on the otherside of the blank region R10 have different areas from each other with acenter line CL1 passing through the respective centers of the bothlateral sides of the substrate sheet 10 as its boundary.

In the vacuum suction of the substrate sheet 10 onto the stage, thesuction force is proportional to a contact area between the substratesheet 10 and the stage. In this substrate sheet 10, the suction forceonto the stage is different in the region on the one side and the regionon the other side with the center line CL1 as its boundary. Therefore,the substrate sheet 10 is not sucked onto the stage with the goodbalance.

After the printing ink is applied onto the substrate sheet 10, the stageis lowered, so that the substrate sheet 10 is separated from the screenplate. Here, if the substrate sheet 10 is not sucked onto the stage withthe good balance, the following problems are prone to occur.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the problems in the conventionalscreen printing. As shown in FIG. 7, viscosity of the printing inkcauses a part of the substrate sheet 10 to remain adhered to the screenplate, thereby moving the part of the substrate sheet 10 away from thestage in some cases. In such a case, the substrate sheet 10 is liable tobe folded, thereby causing the substrate sheet 10 or the conductivelayer or the like on the substrate sheet 10 to be damaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an underlay substratefor preventing a substrate sheet from being folded at the time ofseparating the substrate sheet from a screen plate, and a screenprinting method and a manufacturing method of a printed circuitsubstrate using the same.

(1) According to an aspect of the present invention, an underlaysubstrate is arranged between a substrate sheet for manufacturing aprinted circuit substrate and a suction stage when the substrate sheetis fixed on the suction stage by vacuum suction, wherein the substratesheet is sectioned into first and second regions having an equal area,the first region includes a first printed circuit substrate formationregion and a first blank region, the second region includes a secondprinted circuit substrate formation region and a second blank region, anarea of the first blank region and an area of the second blank regionare different from each other, the underlay substrate includes first andsecond blank corresponding regions that, when the underlay substrate isoverlapped with the substrate sheet, face the first and second blankregions of the substrate sheet, respectively, one or plurality of firstthrough holes are formed in the first blank corresponding region and oneor plurality of second through holes are formed in the second blankcorresponding region, and a sum of areas of the first through holes anda sum of areas of the second through holes are equal to each other.

When this underlay substrate is arranged between the substrate sheet andthe suction stage, the first blank corresponding region in which thefirst through holes are formed faces the first blank region of thesubstrate sheet, and the second blank corresponding region in which thesecond through holes are formed faces the second blank region of thesubstrate sheet.

In this state, the first blank region of the substrate sheet is suckedonto the suction stage under vacuum through the first through holes ofthe underlay substrate, and the second blank region of the substratesheet is sucked onto the suction stage under vacuum through the secondthrough holes of the underlay substrate. This causes the substrate sheetto be fixed on the suction stage.

While the area of the first blank region of the substrate sheet and thearea of the second blank region of the substrate sheet are differentfrom each other, the sum of the areas of the first through holes and thesum of the areas of the second through holes are equal to each other.This causes force to suck the substrate sheet onto the suction stage tobe equal in the first blank region and the second blank region. Thus,the substrate sheet is sucked onto the suction stage with a goodbalance.

In the state, the substrate sheet is subjected to the screen printing.After the printing, the substrate sheet and the screen plate areseparated from each other. Here, since the substrate sheet is suckedonto the suction stage with the good balance, the substrate sheet isreliably separated from the screen plate.

This prevents a part of the substrate sheet from moving away from thesuction stage and remaining adhered to the screen plate. As a result,the substrate sheet is prevented from being folded and the substratesheet or a conductive layer or the like on the substrate sheet isprevented from being damaged.

(2) An area of each of the first through holes and an area of each ofthe second through holes may be equal to each other, and the number ofthe first through holes and the number of the second through holes maybe equal to each other such that the sum of the areas of the firstthrough holes and the sum of the areas of the second through holes areequal to each other.

In this case, since the area of each of the first through holes and thearea of each of the second through holes are equal to each other, thesum of the areas of the first through holes and the sum of the areas ofthe second through holes become equal by setting the respective numbersof the first through holes and the second through holes to be equal toeach other.

The sum of the areas of the first through holes and the sum of the areasof the second through holes are equal to each other, so that thesubstrate sheet is sucked onto the suction stage with the good balance.

(3) The number of the first through holes and the number of the secondthrough holes may be different from each other, and the area of each ofthe first through holes and the area of each of the second through holesmay be different from each other such that the sum of the areas of thefirst through holes and the sum of the areas of the second through holesare equal to each other.

In this case, since the first through holes and the second through holesare different in number, the area of each of the first through holes andthe area of each of the second through holes are set to be differentfrom each other in order for the sum of the areas of the first throughholes and the sum of the areas of the second through holes to be equalto each other.

The sum of the areas of the first through holes and the sum of the areasof the second through holes are equal to each other, so that thesubstrate sheet is sucked onto the suction stage with the good balance.

(4) The substrate sheet may have a rectangular shape having a pair oflateral sides and a pair of end sides, the first and second printedcircuit substrate formation regions may be successively arranged so asto extend along the pair of lateral sides of the substrate sheet, thefirst blank region may include a first end blank region that is arrangedbetween an end of the first printed circuit substrate formation regionand one end side of the substrate sheet, the second blank region mayinclude a second end blank region that is arranged between an end of thesecond printed circuit substrate formation region and the other end sideof the substrate sheet, the first end blank region and the second endblank region may have different areas, the underlay substrate mayinclude first and second end blank corresponding regions that, when theunderlay substrate is overlapped with the substrate sheet, face thefirst and second end blank regions of the substrate sheet, respectively,and a sum of areas of the first through holes in the first end blankcorresponding region and a sum of areas of the second through holes inthe second end blank corresponding region may be equal to each other.

In this case, the sum of the areas of the first through holes in thefirst end blank corresponding region and the sum of the areas of thesecond through holes in the second end blank corresponding region areequal to each other, so that the force to suck the first end blankregion of the substrate sheet onto the suction stage and the force tosuck the second end blank region of the substrate sheet onto the suctionstage become equal to each other.

Therefore, when the sum of the areas of the first through holes formedin the first blank region excluding the first end blank region in thesubstrate sheet and the sum of the areas of the second through holesformed in the second blank region excluding the second end blank regionin the substrate sheet are equal to each other, the force to suck thesubstrate sheet onto the suction stage is equal in the first blankregion and the second blank region. This causes the substrate sheet tobe sucked onto to the suction stage with the good balance.

(5) According to another aspect of the present invention, a screenprinting method includes the steps of fixing a substrate sheet formanufacturing a printed circuit substrate on a suction stage by vacuumsuction with an underlay substrate sandwiched therebetween, arranging ascreen plate on the substrate sheet, printing a material on thesubstrate sheet through the screen plate, and separating the substratesheet from the screen plate, wherein the substrate sheet is sectionedinto first and second regions having an equal area, the first regionincludes a first printed circuit substrate formation region and a firstblank region, the second region includes a second printed circuitsubstrate formation region and a second blank region, an area of thefirst blank region and an area of the second blank region are differentfrom each other, the underlay substrate includes first and second blankcorresponding regions that, when the underlay substrate is overlappedwith the substrate sheet, face the first and second blank regions of thesubstrate sheet, respectively, one or plurality of first through holesare formed in the first blank corresponding region, one or plurality ofsecond through holes are formed in the second blank correspondingregion, and a sum of areas of the first through holes and a sum of areasof the second through holes are equal to each other.

In this screen printing method, the substrate sheet for manufacturingthe printed circuit substrate is fixed on the suction stage by vacuumsuction with the underlay substrate sandwiched therebetween.

With the substrate sheet placed on the suction stage, the first blankcorresponding region, in which the first through holes are formed, ofthe underlay substrate faces the first blank region of the substratesheet, and the second blank corresponding region, in which the secondthrough holes are formed, of the underlay substrate faces the secondblank region of the substrate sheet.

The first blank region of the substrate sheet is sucked onto the suctionstage under vacuum through the first through holes of the underlaysubstrate, and the second blank region of the substrate sheet is suckedonto the suction stage under vacuum through the second through holes ofthe underlay substrate, so that the substrate sheet is fixed on thesuction stage.

Although the area of the first blank region of the substrate sheet andthe area of the second blank region of the substrate sheet are differentfrom each other, the sum of the areas of the first through holes and thesum of the areas of the second through holes are equal to each other.Therefore, the force to suck the substrate sheet onto the suction stageis equal in the first blank region and the second blank region. Thiscauses the substrate sheet to be sucked onto the suction stage with thegood balance.

With the substrate sheet fixed on the suction stage by vacuum suction,the screen plate is arranged on the substrate sheet. Then, the materialis printed on the substrate sheet through the screen plate. After theprinting, the substrate sheet and the screen plate are separated fromeach other. Since the substrate sheet is sucked onto the suction stagewith the good balance, the substrate sheet is reliably separated fromthe screen plate.

This prevents the part of the substrate sheet from moving away from thesuction stage and remaining adhered to the screen plate. As a result,the substrate sheet is prevented from being folded, and the substratesheet or the conductive layer or the like on the substrate sheet isprevented from being damaged.

(6) According to still another aspect of the present invention, amanufacturing method of a printed circuit substrate includes the stepsof fixing a substrate sheet for manufacturing the printed circuitsubstrate on a suction stage by vacuum suction with an underlaysubstrate sandwiched therebetween, arranging a screen plate on thesubstrate sheet, printing a material on the substrate sheet through thescreen plate, separating the substrate sheet from the screen plate, anddetaching the printed circuit substrate from the substrate sheet,wherein the substrate sheet is sectioned into first and second regionshaving an equal area, the first region includes a first printed circuitsubstrate formation region and a first blank region, the second regionincludes a second printed circuit substrate formation region and asecond blank region, an area of the first blank region and an area ofthe second blank region are different from each other, the underlaysubstrate includes first and second blank corresponding regions that,when the underlay substrate is overlapped with the substrate sheet, facethe first and second blank regions of the substrate sheet, respectively,one or plurality of first through holes are formed in the first blankcorresponding region, one or plurality of second through holes areformed in the second blank corresponding region, and a sum of areas ofthe first through holes and a sum of areas of the second through holesare equal to each other.

In the manufacturing method of the printed circuit substrate, thesubstrate sheet for manufacturing the printed circuit substrate is fixedon the suction stage by the vacuum suction with the underlay substratesandwiched therebetween.

With the substrate sheet placed on the suction stage, the first blankcorresponding region, in which the first through holes are formed, ofthe underlay substrate faces the first blank region of the substratesheet, and the second blank corresponding region, in which the secondthrough holes are formed, of the underlay substrate faces the secondblank region of the substrate sheet.

When the substrate sheet is fixed on the suction stage by the vacuumsuction, the first blank region of the substrate sheet is sucked ontothe suction stage under vacuum through the first through holes of theunderlay substrate, and the second blank region of the substrate sheetis sucked onto the suction stage under vacuum through the second throughholes of the underlay substrate.

While the area of the first blank region of the substrate sheet and thearea of the second blank region of the substrate sheet are differentfrom each other, the sum of the areas of the first through holes and thesum of the areas of the second through holes are equal to each other.This causes the force to suck the substrate sheet onto the suction stageto be equal in the first blank region and the second blank region. Thus,the substrate sheet is sucked onto to the suction stage with the goodbalance.

With the substrate sheet fixed on the suction stage by the vacuumsuction, the screen plate is arranged on the substrate sheet. Then, thematerial is printed on the substrate sheet through the screen plate.After the printing, the substrate sheet and the screen plate areseparated from each other. Thereafter, the printed circuit substrate isdetached from the substrate sheet, and consequently, the printed circuitsubstrate is completed. In a process of separating the screen plate fromthe substrate sheet, the substrate sheet is reliably separated from thescreen plate since the substrate sheet is sucked onto the suction stagewith the good balance.

This prevents the part of the substrate sheet from moving away from thesuction stage and remaining adhered to the screen plate. Accordingly,the substrate sheet is prevented from being folded, and the substratesheet or the conductive layer or the like on the substrate sheet isprevented from being damaged.

According to the present invention, the substrate sheet is sucked ontothe suction stage with the good balance. Therefore, the substrate sheetis reliably separated from the screen plate, thereby preventing the partof the substrate sheet from moving away from the suction stage andremaining adhered to the screen plate. As a result, the substrate sheetis prevented from being folded, and the substrate sheet or theconductive layer or the like on the substrate sheet is prevented frombeing damaged.

Other features, elements, characteristics, and advantages of the presentinvention will become more apparent from the following description ofpreferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to theattached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view for explaining a screen printing methodaccording to the present embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an underlay substrate and a substrate sheetused in the present embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a magnetic head suspension substrate;

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a summary of a screen printing forthe substrate sheet;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view for explaining the summary of the screenprinting for the substrate sheet;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the substrate sheet subjectedto the screen printing; and

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining problems in a conventional screenprinting.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, description is made of a screen printing method, amanufacturing method of a printed circuit substrate and an underlaysubstrate according to an embodiment of the present invention whilereferring to drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state where a substrate sheet 10 shown inFIG. 6 is sucked onto a stage of a screen printing device under vacuumin a screen printing method according to the present invention. As shownin FIG. 1, the substrate sheet 10 is sucked onto the stage 50 undervacuum with an underlay substrate 20 sandwiched therebetween in thepresent embodiment.

(1) The Underlay Substrate

Description is made of the underlay substrate 20. FIG. 2 (a) is adiagram showing the underlay substrate according to the presentembodiment, and FIG. 2 (b) is a diagram showing the substrate sheet 10.Note that the underlay substrate 20 has substantially the same size asthe substrate sheet 10 as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

A configuration of the substrate sheet 10 shown in FIG. 2 (b) is thesame as a configuration of the substrate sheet 10 shown in FIG. 6. Thatis, a plurality of (two in FIG. 2( b)) substrate assembly regions R1 areprovided in the substrate sheet 10 so as to extend in parallel with apair of sides that face each other. A plurality of substrate formationregions R2 are provided in each of the substrate assembly regions R1.

Hereinafter, the above-mentioned pair of sides of the substrate sheet 10is referred to as lateral sides, and the other pair of sides that isvertical to the lateral sides is referred to as end sides. In addition,a pair of sides, corresponding to the pair of lateral sides of thesubstrate sheet 10, of the underlay substrate 20 is referred to aslateral sides, and a pair of sides, corresponding to the pair of endsides of the substrate sheet 10, of the underlay substrate 20 isreferred to as end sides.

Each of the substrate formation regions R2 is subjected to various typesof processes, thereby forming a printed circuit substrate. Details ofeach of the substrate formation regions R2 will be described later.Openings R3 are formed at portions excluding the plurality of substrateformation regions R2 in each of the substrate assembly regions R1. Endsof each of the substrate formation regions R2 are coupled to aperipheral region of the substrate assembly region R1.

A blank region R10 is formed in a region excluding the substrateassembly regions R1 in the substrate sheet 10. In the blank region R10,end blank regions R4 are provided so as to extend from respective oneends of the substrate assembly regions R1 to one end side of thesubstrate sheet 10. In addition, end blank regions R5 are provided so asto extend from the respective other ends of the substrate assemblyregions R1 to the other end side of the substrate sheet 10. Normally,the end blank regions R4, R5 are formed such that their areas aredifferent from each other. Therefore, a portion excluding the openingsR3 in a region on one side and a portion excluding the openings R3 in aregion on the other side have different areas with a center line CL1passing through the respective centers of the both lateral sides of thesubstrate sheet 10 as its boundary.

As shown in FIG. 2 (a), a plurality of through holes 21 having the samesize are formed in the underlay substrate 20. Positions of the pluralityof through holes 21 are suitably set according to the shape of thesubstrate sheet 10.

Specifically, an equal number of through holes 21 (seven in FIG. 2) areformed in each of end blank corresponding regions R14, R15 that, whenthe substrate sheet 10 and the underlay substrate 20 are overlapped witheach other, overlap with the end blank regions R4, R5 of the substratesheet 10, of the underlay substrate 20.

In addition, the through holes 21 are formed at equal spacing inportions excluding the end blank corresponding regions R14, R15 in ablank corresponding region R20, which overlap with the blank region R10of the substrate sheet 10, of the underlay substrate 20. Note thatalthough the through holes 21 are not formed in regions, which overlapwith the substrate formation regions R2 of the substrate sheet 10, ofthe underlay substrate 20 in FIG. 2, the through holes 21 are formedalso in the regions, which overlap with the substrate formation regionsR2, of the underlay substrate 20 in practice.

Thus, the numbers of the through holes 21 are equal in the region on theone side and the region on the other side of the blank correspondingregion R20 with a center line CL2 passing through the respective centersof the both lateral sides of the underlay substrate 20 as its boundary.

Note that the thickness of the underlay substrate 20 is preferably100-700 μm. A metallic plate such as stainless steel, aluminum or copperis preferably used as a material for the underlay substrate 20. Thetotal areas of the through holes 21 is preferably 25-100 mm² in the endblank corresponding regions R14 of the underlay substrate 20 and in theend blank corresponding regions R15 of the underlay substrate 20,respectively. The diameter of each of the through hole 21 is preferably0.3-2.0 mm.

(2) The Substrate Formation Regions of the Substrate Sheet

Hereinafter, description is made of the details of the substrateformation regions R2 of the substrate sheet 10 shown in FIG. 2 (b).Magnetic head suspension substrates are formed in the substrateformation regions R2.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the magnetic head suspension substrate. Asshown in FIG. 3, the magnetic head suspension substrate 10A includes asuspension body 12 formed of a long sized substrate 11 made of stainlesssteel.

A wiring pattern 13 is formed on the suspension body 12. A U-shapedopening 14 is formed at the tip of the suspension body 12, therebyproviding a magnetic head supporting portion 15.

Four electrode pads 16 are formed at an end of the magnetic headsupporting portion 15, and four electrode pads 17 are formed at theother tip of the suspension body 12. The electrode pads 16 and theelectrode pads 17 are connected to one another by the wiring pattern 13.

Each of the magnetic head suspension substrates 10A is detached from thesubstrate sheet 10, and used in a hard disk or the like.

(3) Summary of the Screen Printing

Hereinafter, description is made of a summary of the screen printingmethod according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 areschematic views for explaining the summary of the screen printing methodaccording to the present embodiment. Note that in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, theunderlay substrate 20 is shown in cross section taken along the line A-Aof FIG. 2 (a), and the substrate sheet 10 is shown in cross sectiontaken along the line B-B of FIG. 2 (b).

First, the substrate sheet 10 and the underlay substrate 20 are placedon the stage 50 of the screen printing device so as to verticallyoverlap with each other as shown in FIG. 4 (a). The plurality of exhaustpaths 51 are provided in the stage 50. Each of the exhaust paths 51opens at an upper surface of the stage 50.

An atmosphere within the exhaust paths 51 is exhausted by a vacuumdevice that is not shown, so that the underlay substrate 20 is suckedonto the stage 50 under vacuum while the substrate sheet 10 is suckedonto the stage 50 under vacuum through the plurality of through holes 21of the underlay substrate 20.

Here, a force to suck the substrate sheet 10 onto the stage 50 isproportional to areas of portions in which a lower surface of thesubstrate sheet 10 and the upper surface of the stage 50 arecommunicated with each other. That is, the force is proportional to thenumber (area) of the through holes 21 of the underlay substrate 20.

As described above, the equal number of through holes 21 are formed ineach of the end blank corresponding regions R14, R15 of the underlaysubstrate 20, and the numbers of the through holes 21 are substantiallyequal in the region on the one side and the region on the other side ofthe blank corresponding region R20 with the center line CL2 (FIG. 2 (a))as its boundary.

Therefore, the force to suck the substrate sheet 10 onto the stage 50 issubstantially equal in the region on the one side and the region on theother side with the center line CL1 (FIG. 2 (b)) as its boundary. Thus,the substrate sheet 10 is sucked onto the stage 50 with a good balance.

Note that the suction force of the vacuum device that is not shown isadjusted such that the substrate sheet 10 can be easily separated fromthe stage 50. In this case, since the substrate sheet 10 on the stage 50can be exchanged without stopping the vacuum device, the plurality ofsubstrate sheets 10 can be continuously processed without switching astate of the vacuum device between an operating state and a stoppedstate.

The stage 50 is lifted with the underlay substrate 20 and the substratesheet 10 sucked onto the stage 50 as shown in FIG. 4 (b), so that thesubstrate sheet 10 comes into contact with the screen plate 55. In thestate, a squeegee 56 applies the printing ink onto the substrate sheet10 through the openings formed in the screen plate 55 while moving onthe screen plate 55 in one direction as shown in FIG. 4 (c).Accordingly, the conductive layer or the like is formed on the substratesheet 10.

Then, the stage 50 is lowered, so that the substrate sheet 10 isseparated from the screen plate 55 as shown in FIG. 5 (d). In thepresent embodiment, the substrate sheet 10 is sucked onto the stage 50with the good balance, so that the substrate sheet 10 is reliablyseparated from the screen plate 55.

(4) Effects of the Embodiment

In the present embodiment, the substrate sheet 10 is sucked onto thestage 50 under vacuum with the underlay substrate 20 sandwichedtherebetween. The equal number of through holes 21 are formed in each ofthe end blank corresponding regions R14, R15, which overlap with the endblank regions R4, R5 of the substrate sheet 10, of the underlaysubstrate 20.

Thus, the substrate sheet 10 is sucked onto the stage 50 with the goodbalance. This prevents a part of the substrate sheet 10 from moving awayfrom the stage 50 and remaining adhered to the screen plate 55 at thetime of separating the substrate sheet 10 from the screen plate 55 bylowering the stage 50. As a result, the substrate sheet 10 is preventedfrom being folded, and the substrate sheet 10 or the conductive layer orthe like on the substrate sheet 10 are prevented from being damaged.

(5) Another Embodiment

Although the force to suck the substrate sheet 10 onto the stage 50 isadjusted by adjusting the number of the through holes 21 of the underlaysubstrate 20 in the above-described embodiment, the present invention isnot limited to this. The force to suck the substrate sheet 10 onto thestage 50 may be adjusted by adjusting the size or the shape of each ofthe through holes 21.

(6) Inventive Example and Comparative Example (6-1) Inventive Example

In the inventive example, the substrate sheet 10 that is similar to thesubstrate sheet 10 in the above-described embodiment was subjected tothe screen printing by using the underlay substrate 20 shown below.

Stainless steel (SUS304) was used as the material for the underlaysubstrate 20. The thickness of the underlay substrate 20 was 400 μm. Thediameter of each of the through holes 21 of the underlay substrate 20was 0.7 mm. The number of the through holes 21 was 80 in the end blankcorresponding regions R14 of the underlay substrate 20, and the numberof the through holes 21 was 80 in the end blank corresponding regionsR15 of the underlay substrate 20. That is, the total area of the throughholes 21 in the end blank corresponding regions R14 of the underlaysubstrate 20 and the total area of the through holes 21 in the end blankcorresponding regions R15 of the underlay substrate 20 were both set tobe about 30 mm². Note that the thickness of the substrate sheet 10 was40 μm.

The above-described substrate sheet 10 and underlay substrate 20 wereplaced on the stage 50 so as to vertically overlap with each other, andsucked onto the stage 50 under vacuum. In the state, the substrate sheet10 and the screen plate 55 are brought into contact with each other, andlead-free solder paste was printed on the substrate formation regions R2of the substrate sheet 10 through the screen plate 55, thereby formingsolder bumps.

After this, when the stage 50 was lowered, the substrate sheet 10 wascompletely separated from the screen plate 55 without moving away fromthe stage 50.

(6-2) Comparative Example

In the comparative example, the substrate sheet 10 that is similar tothe substrate sheet 10 of the inventive example was subjected to thescreen printing by using the underlay substrate 20 that is similar,excluding the following points, to the underlay substrate 20 of theinventive example.

The number of the through holes 21 in the end blank correspondingregions R14 of the underlay substrate 20 was 140, and the number of thethrough holes 21 in the end blank corresponding regions R15 of theunderlay substrate 20 was 80. That is, the total area of the throughholes 21 in the end blank corresponding regions R14 of the underlaysubstrate 20 was set to be about 55 mm², and the total area of thethrough holes 21 in the end blank corresponding regions R15 of theunderlay substrate 20 was set to be about 30 mm².

When the stage 50 was lowered after the solder bumps were formed in thesubstrate formation regions R2 of the substrate sheet 10 similarly tothe above-described inventive example, portions in the vicinity of theend blank regions R4 of the substrate sheet 10 moved away from the stage50 and remained adhered to the screen plate 55. This caused thesubstrate sheet 10 to be folded and damaged.

(6-3) Evaluation

It was found that the substrate sheet 10 could be reliably separatedfrom the screen plate 55 after the printing by setting the number of thethrough holes 21 in the end blank corresponding regions R14 of theunderlay substrate 20 and the number of the through holes 21 in the endblank corresponding regions R15 of the underlay substrate 20 to be equalto each other.

(7) Correspondences Between Elements in the Claims and Parts inEmbodiments

In the following paragraphs, non-limiting examples of correspondencesbetween various elements recited in the claims below and those describedabove with respect to various embodiments of the present invention areexplained.

In the above-described embodiment, the stage 50 is an example of asuction stage, the region on the one side of the substrate sheet 10 withthe center line CL1 as its boundary is an example of a first region, theregion on the other side of the substrate sheet 10 with the center lineCL1 as its boundary is an example of a second region, a region on oneside of the substrate formation regions R2 with the center line CL1 asits boundary is an example of a first printed circuit substrateformation region, the region on the one side of the blank region R10with the center line CL1 as its boundary is an example of a first blankregion, a region on the other side of the substra to formation regionsR2 with the center line CL1 as its boundary is an example of a secondprinted circuit substrate formation region, and the region on the otherside of the blank region R10 with the center line CL1 as its boundary isan example of a second blank region.

The region on the one side of the blank corresponding region R20 withthe center line CL2 as its boundary is an example of a first blankcorresponding region, the region on the other side of the blankcorresponding region R20 with the center line CL2 as its boundary is anexample of a second blank corresponding region, the through hole 21 inthe region on the one side of the blank corresponding region R20 withthe center line CL2 as its boundary is an example of a first throughhole, the through hole 21 in the region on the other side of the blankcorresponding region R20 with the center line CL2 as its boundary is anexample of a second through hole.

One of the end blank regions R4, R5 is an example of a first end blankregion, the other of the end blank regions R4, R5 is an example of asecond end blank region, one of the end blank corresponding regions R14,R15 is an example of a first end blank corresponding region, the otherof the end blank corresponding regions R14, R15 is an example of asecond end corresponding region.

As each of various elements recited in the claims, various otherelements having configurations or functions described in the claims canbe also used.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been describedabove, it is to be understood that variations and modifications will beapparent to those skilled in the art without departing the scope andspirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention,therefore, is to be determined solely by the following claims.

1. An underlay substrate that is arranged between a substrate sheet formanufacturing a printed circuit substrate and a suction stage when saidsubstrate sheet is fixed on said suction stage by vacuum suction,wherein said substrate sheet is sectioned into first and second regionshaving an equal area, said first region includes a first printed circuitsubstrate formation region and a first blank region, said second regionincludes a second printed circuit substrate formation region and asecond blank region, an area of said first blank region and an area ofsaid second blank region are different from each other, said underlaysubstrate includes first and second blank corresponding regions that,when said underlay substrate is overlapped with said substrate sheet,face said first and second blank regions of said substrate sheet,respectively, one or plurality of first through holes are formed in saidfirst blank corresponding region and one or plurality of second throughholes are formed in said second blank corresponding region, and a sum ofareas of said first through holes and a sum of areas of said secondthrough holes are equal to each other.
 2. The underlay substrateaccording to claim 1, wherein an area of each of the first through holesand an area of each of the second through holes are equal to each other,and the number of said first through holes and the number of said secondthrough holes are equal to each other such that the sum of the areas ofsaid first through holes and the sum of the areas of said second throughholes are equal to each other.
 3. The underlay substrate according toclaim 1, wherein the number of said first through holes and the numberof said second through holes are different from each other, and the areaof each of the first through holes and the area of each of the secondthrough holes are different from each other such that the sum of theareas of said first through holes and the sum of the areas of saidsecond through holes are equal to each other.
 4. The underlay substrateaccording to claim 1, wherein said substrate sheet has a rectangularshape having a pair of lateral sides and a pair of end sides, said firstand second printed circuit substrate formation regions are successivelyarranged so as to extend along the pair of lateral sides of saidsubstrate sheet, said first blank region includes a first end blankregion that is arranged between an end of said first printed circuitsubstrate formation region and one end side of said substrate sheet,said second blank region includes a second end blank region that isarranged between an end of said second printed circuit substrateformation region and the other end side of said substrate sheet, saidfirst end blank region and said second end blank region have differentareas, said underlay substrate includes first and second end blankcorresponding regions that, when said underlay substrate is overlappedwith said substrate sheet, face said first and second end blank regionsof said substrate sheet, respectively, and a sum of areas of said firstthrough holes in said first end blank corresponding region and a sum ofareas of said second through holes in said second end blankcorresponding region are equal to each other.